Vehicle seat bottom stopper

ABSTRACT

A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion supported on a frame. The seat cushion is removable from the frame to allow access an area beneath the seat. A handle is formed on a projecting portion of the seat cushion to facilitate grasping the seat cushion and to allow the seat cushion to be removed from the frame. A seat stopper is provided for preventing the projecting portion from contacting directly against a console or other surrounding part of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

The disclosed subject matter relates generally to vehicle seats. Moreparticularly, the disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle havingfeatures to prevent pinching or rubbing between the seat and othervehicle components.

Vehicle seats may have various seat cushion profiles or shapes. Somevehicles have storage compartments or equipment located under the seatcushion. For example, tool kits, batteries, fuse boxes, and othervehicle components may be located under the seat. Seat cushions may havea projecting portion with a handle portion to accommodate their abilityto be removed. The handle portion may correspond to a recessed area in aconsole. The projecting portion may pinch or rub the console or othervehicle component when a user is sitting in the seat and cause wear ordamage to the seat cushion. Accordingly, it may be desirable to use aseat stopper to prevent the projecting portion of the seat cushion frompinching or rubbing.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a seat cushion with a handlethat is easy to grasp and manipulate. It would also be desirable toprovide seat stopper to prevent the handle from directly contacting theconsole or other vehicle components.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a seatingsystem for a vehicle is provided. The seating system includes a pair ofseats arranged in a side-by-side configuration. Each of the seats havinga seat cushion supported on a seat frame, and a seat back. At least oneof the pair of seats includes a handle for grasping the seat cushion toremove the seat cushion from the seat frame. A seat stopper is providedfor preventing the handle from contacting directly against a surroundingpart of the vehicle. A member of a vehicle frame supporting thesurrounding part when the seat stopper is depressed.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, aseating system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat cushion forbeing attached to a seat frame. The seat cushion includes a cushionmember forming an upper portion of the seat cushion, and a supportmember forming a lower portion of the seat cushion. The cushion memberand the support member extend laterally to form part of a projectingportion of the seat cushion. The support member includes a handle. Ahandle is formed in an opening between the projecting portion and aconsole for grasping the seat cushion to remove the seat cushion fromthe seat frame. A seat stopper is provided for preventing the projectingportion from contacting directly against a surrounding part.

In accordance with yet a further embodiment of the present disclosure, aseating system for a vehicle includes a seat cushion for being attachedto a seat frame to define part of a seating surface for an occupant ofthe vehicle. The seat cushion includes a projecting portion extendinglaterally towards a console. An opening is created between an undersideof the projecting portion and a console to allow access for grabbing theprojecting portion. The opening includes a seat stopper for preventingdirect contact between the seat cushion and the console.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be better understoodfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view depicting a vehicle in accordancewith one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a seat and a portion of the vehiclein accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the vehicle seat of FIG. 2 with theseat cushion lifted;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the seat cushion of the seat of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the seat cushion of FIG. 4, takenalong line A-A;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the seat cushion;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the seat cushion of FIG. 6 including aportion of a seat frame;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the seat cushion of FIG. 7,taken along line B-B;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a projecting portion of theseat cushion and a console of FIG. 4, taken along line A-A;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the console;

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of theprojecting portion of the seat cushion and a console of FIG. 4, takenalong line A-A; and

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the seat cushion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

A few inventive aspects of the disclosed embodiments are explained indetail below with reference to the various figures. Exemplaryembodiments are described to illustrate the disclosed subject matter,not to limit its scope, which is defined by the claims. Those ofordinary skill in the art will recognize a number of equivalentvariations of the various features provided in the description thatfollows. Embodiments are hereinafter described in detail in connectionwith the views and examples of FIGS. 1-12, wherein like numbers indicatethe same or corresponding elements throughout the views.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a vehicle, indicated generallyat 10, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thevehicle 10 is shown as an off-road vehicle. However, vehicles inaccordance with alternative embodiments can comprise any variety ofvehicles, including automobiles, trucks, vans, recreational vehicles,utility vehicles, agricultural equipment, or construction equipment, forexample.

The vehicle 10 may include a vehicle frame 12 comprised of a pluralityof frame members 13. The frame members 13 may be tubular and may beconnected together by welding or fasteners, for example. The vehicleframe 12 may include a plurality of base members 14 for supporting atleast one seat 16 in an occupant area, indicated generally at 18. Theframe 12 may include a pair of front upright members 20 extending in anupward direction with respect to the base members 14 and positioned at aforward portion of the occupant area 18. The frame 12 may also include apair of rear upright members 22 extending in an upward direction withrespect to the base members 14 and positioned at a rearward portion ofthe occupant area 18. The front upright members 20 and the rear uprightmembers 22 may form part of a roll protection structure that isparticularly suitable for use in off-road vehicles. It will beunderstood that other embodiments of the vehicle 10 may have differentconfigurations with more upright members or fewer upright members.

It will be appreciated that the seats 16 may be arranged in any suitablemanner, and may include bucket seats to provide seating surfaces foroccupants of the vehicle 10. The seats 16 may be arranged in aside-by-side configuration, and may be arranged in a single row ormultiple rows within the scope of the present disclosure.

The vehicle 10 may include an engine 24, such as an internal combustionengine or an electric motor, of any suitable size and configuration forproviding a motive power to the vehicle 10. In one embodiment, theengine 24 may be supported by the vehicle frame 12 at a location behindthe seats 16. However, in alternative embodiments, the engine 24 may belocated in a central or front portion of the vehicle 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, which depicts a top perspective view of a seat 16and a portion of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the concepts of thepresent disclosure. The seat 16 may include a seat back 26 forsupporting a back of a seated occupant, and a seat bottom 28, alsoreferred to herein as a seat cushion 28. A console 30 may be positionedbetween the seats 16 on an inboard side of the seats 16. The console 30may extend from between the seats 16 to a position forward of the seats16. The console 30 may include one or more cup holders 32 and/or anyvariety of control devices, including levers, knobs, handles, buttons,and switches, or storage compartments, or the like, in a manner known tothose skilled in the art.

The seat cushion 28 may be supported by a seat frame 34, as shown moreclearly in FIG. 3, which depicts a top perspective view of the seat 16with the seat cushion 28 raised. The seat cushion 28 may be removablefrom the seat frame 34 to access areas beneath the seat 16. For example,a storage compartment 36 may be provided under the seat 16 for storingobjects such as tools. It will be understood that the storagecompartment 36 may be formed in any suitable configuration for storingany variety of objects. It will also be understood that otherembodiments of the vehicle 10 that may or may not include a storagecompartment 36, may include equipment under the seat that may need to beaccessed. For example, some embodiments of the vehicle 10 may includeequipment, such as batteries, fuse boxes, fuel tanks and the like,located under the seats. In other embodiments, removal of the seatcushion 28 may facilitate cleaning dirt and debris that sometimesaccumulates in off-road vehicles under the seat 16. Accordingly, someembodiments of the vehicle 10 may not include a storage compartment 36or other equipment under the seat cushion 28, but may still benefit fromhaving a removable seat cushion 28.

The seat cushion 28 may include a latch 38, discussed more fully below,for holding the seat cushion 28 to the seat frame 34. When the seatcushion 28 is unlatched from the frame 34, the seat cushion 28 may belifted off the frame 34. A handle 40 may be provided in the seat cushion28 to facilitate grasping and handling the seat cushion 28 so that theseat cushion 28 can be easily removed and replaced on the seat frame 34.The handle 40 may be positioned on one or both of the seats 16 on theinboard side of the seat 16 adjacent to the console 30. Accordingly, theconsole 30 may include a recess 42 for receiving the handle 40 portionof the seat cushion 28.

Referring to FIG. 4, which shows a top view of the seat cushion 28, theseat cushion 28 may extend laterally to define a projecting portion 44of the seat cushion 28. Accordingly, the seat cushion 28 may beasymmetrical as viewed from above with respect to a centerline 46 of theseat cushion 28 extending in a front to back direction. The projectingportion 44 of the seat cushion 28 may extend in an inboard directiontoward a centerline of the vehicle 10. The handle 40 may be formed atleast partially in the projecting portion 44 of the seat cushion 28 suchthat the projecting portion 44 provides a visual indicator of the handle40, and the projecting portion 44 also provides a portion of the seatcushion 28 to be grasped by a user.

As shown in FIG. 5, which shows a cross-sectional view of the seatcushion 28 of FIG. 4 taken along line A-A, the seat cushion 28 mayinclude a cushion member 48 forming an upper portion of the seat cushion28. The cushion member 48 may be formed of a foam material or any othersuitable material for providing a comfortable seating surface for anoccupant of the vehicle 10. The seat cushion 28 may also include asupport member 50 forming a lower portion of the seat cushion 28. Thesupport member 50 may be configured to provide support to the cushionmember 48, and thus may have a higher rigidity than the cushion member48. The support member 50 may have portions extending substantiallyhorizontally to provide a bottom of the seat cushion 28, and upwardextending portions to provide a side of the seat cushion 28. In oneembodiment, the support member 50 may be formed of a plastic material.However, it will be understood that the support member 50 may be formedof any suitable material, and the support member 50 may configured asdesired to provide appropriate vertical and lateral support to thecushion member 48.

The seat cushion 28 may also include a trim cover 52. The trim cover 52may cover a portion of the cushion member 48 and the support member 50to provide protection and an aesthetically pleasing surface to the seatcushion 28. The trim cover 52 may be formed of a flexible, durablematerial, such as vinyl, leather or the like.

It will be understood that the handle 40 may be configured such that anupper surface 53 of the handle 40 will form a portion of the seatingsurface for an occupant of the vehicle 10. The cushion member 48 may beconfigured to extend in the projecting portion 44 so that the seat 16can be soft and comfortable for an occupant seated on the handle 40portion of the seat 16. In other words, the seat 16 is configured suchthat an occupant can comfortably sit on the projecting portion 44 of theseat cushion 28 where the handle 40 is formed.

Referring to FIG. 6, which discloses a bottom view of one embodiment ofthe seat cushion 28, the handle 40 may include a recess 54 in anunderside of the cushion member 48 in the projecting portion 44. Therecess 54 may be sized and configured to receive fingers or a hand of auser to provide a gripping surface. The support member 50 may include ahandle support 56 extending in the recess 54 in the projecting portion44 to provide additional strength to the handle 40. The handle support56 may have a portion that extends substantially horizontally so that itcan provide a surface area for a user to apply a vertical force to liftthe seat cushion 28. In addition, the handle support 56 may beconfigured to provide support for the cushion member 48 when an occupantof the vehicle 10 is seated on the projecting portion 44 of the seatcushion 28.

The seat cushion 28 may also include one or more pins 58 for locatingthe seat cushion 28 appropriately with respect to the seat frame 34 forattaching the seat cushion 28 to the seat frame 34, as shown in FIGS. 7and 8. FIG. 7 discloses a bottom view of the seat cushion 28 of FIG. 6including a portion of the seat frame 34. FIG. 8 discloses across-sectional side view of the seat cushion 28 of FIG. 7, taken alongline B-B. The pin 58 may be received in a bumper 60 attached to the seatframe 34. The pin 58 may be integral with the support member 50, or thepin 58 may be a separate member attached to the support member 50. Asshown in FIG. 8, the pin 58 may have a tapered end 62 for facilitatinginsertion into the bumper 60. The bumper 60 may be a cylindrical memberwith an interior space configured to receive the pin 58. The bumper 60may include a sloped opening 64 to further guide the pin 58 into thebumper 60. One embodiment of the bumper 60 may be formed of a resilientmaterial, such as rubber, to absorb vibrations traveling between theseat frame 34 and the seat cushion 28. Also, the resilient material ofthe bumper 60 may allow the bumper 60 to compress to hold the pin 58 inthe bumper 60, and to bias the seat cushion 28 to a predeterminedposition with respect to the seat frame 34. Thus, the bumper 60 may beconfigured as a biasing member to allow a small amount of movement ofthe seat cushion 28 with respect to the seat frame 34. This may bebeneficial in positioning and latching the seat cushion 28 to the seatframe 34.

The seat cushion 28 may also include one or more hooks 66 disposed on anopposite side portion of the seat cushion 28 as the latch 38. In theembodiment of the seat cushion 28 depicted, the hooks 66 may bepositioned on a rearward portion of the seat cushion 28, and the latch38 may be positioned on a forward portion of the seat cushion 28. Thehooks 66 may be configured for attaching the seat cushion 28 to the seatframe 34 such that when the latch 38 is released, the seat cushion 28can pivot about the seat frame 34 at the hooks 66. Accordingly, a seatattachment portion 68 of the seat frame 34 may have a roundedcross-sectional shape to facilitate pivotal movement of the seat cushion28. In the embodiment disclosed, the seat attachment portion 68 of theseat frame 34 may have a cylindrical configuration. However, alternativeembodiments may have different suitable configurations.

Referring now in greater detail to the latch 38 mentioned above, thelatch 38 may be integrally formed in the support member 50 of the seatcushion 28. Alternatively, the latch may be a separate member attachedto the seat cushion 28. The latch 38 may include a latch handle 70 foroperating the latch 38, and a latch hook 72 for attaching to a receiver74 formed in the seat frame 34. The receiver 74 may be formed as a loop,plate, hook or the like for providing an attachment area for the latchhook 72. The latch 38 may also include a hinge 76 for allowing the latchhook 72 to be moved with respect to the receiver 74. In one embodiment,the hinge 76 may be a living hinge formed in the support member 50.Alternatively, the hinge 76 may be a separate structure attached to thesupport member 50 of the seat cushion 28.

In use, when an operator wishes to remove the seat cushion 28 from theseat frame 34, the user can lift the latch handle 70, which causes thelatch handle 70 and the latch hook 72 to pivot about the hinge 76 andthereby release the latch hook 72 from the receiver 74. The seat cushion28 can then be lifted at the front portion by the latch handle 70 sothat the seat cushion 28 pivots about the seat attachment portion 68 ofthe seat frame 34. The user can then grasp the handle 40 and lift theseat cushion 28 off the seat frame 34. Access to the area beneath theseat cushion 28 can thereby be accomplished.

To replace the seat cushion 28 on the seat frame 34, the hooks 66 can beplaced on the seat attachment portion 68 of the seat frame 34. Lateralmovement of the seat cushion 28 can be facilitated by grasping thehandle 40 to align the pins 58 with the bumpers 60. Then the front ofthe seat cushion 28 can be lowered until the pins 58 are received in thebumpers 60. Once the front of the seat cushion 28 is lowered, the latchhook 72 snaps on to the receiver 74 to hold the seat cushion 28 in placewith respect to the seat frame 34.

It will be understood that the seat cushion 28 may be easily moved andmanipulated using the handle 40 when a user is standing outside thevehicle 10, since the handle 40 is located on an inboard side of theseat 16, the seat cushion 28 can be easily gripped and pulled toward theuser.

The seat cushion 28 may flex or move downward when a user is sitting onthe seat cushion 28. Additionally, the amount of flex or downwardmovement may increase when the user is driving over rough terrain. Theflexing or downward of movement the seat cushion 28 may cause portions,such as the handle 40 to contact or pinch other parts of the vehicle 10.As a result, a seat stopper 80 may be applied to prevent the seatcushion 28 from directly contacting against the console 30 or otherparts of the vehicle 10.

As shown in FIG. 9, which shows a partial cross-sectional view of theprojecting portion 44 of the seat cushion 28 and the console 30 of FIG.4, taken along line A-A, the seat stopper 80 may be located on theconsole 30. Specifically, the seat stopper 80 may be located in therecess 42 of the console 30. The recess 42 of the console 30 receivesthe handle 40 and the projecting portion 44 of the seat cushion 28.Additionally, the recess 43 creates an opening 90 for a hand to accessthe handle 40 and remove the seat cushion 28. The projecting portion 44is further away from the seat frame 34 (as shown in FIG. 7) and is morelikely to flex or move downward. The seat cushion 28 may also includetrim cover 52. The trim cover 52 may cover a portion of the cushionmember 48 to provide protection and an aesthetically pleasing surface tothe seat cushion 28. The trim cover 52 may be formed of a flexible,durable material, such as vinyl, leather, fabric or the like. The seatstopper 80 located on the console 30 prevents the material (leather,fabric, or vinyl) of the trim cover 52 of the seat cushion 28 fromrubbing or pinching against a surrounding part, such as the console 30and reduces wear to the trim cover 52.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the console 30. The seat stopper 80is shown attached to the console 30. The seat stopper 80 is envisionedto be secured to the console 30 or other surrounding part with a grommetconnection or fasteners, such as screws or bolts (not shown), which arecommon in the art. Alternatively, any other attachment means may beused, including adhesives or epoxy that enables the seat stopper 80 tobe secured to the console 30. Additionally, the seat stopper 80 isenvisioned to be a cylindrical shape with a central bore for receivingthe grommet or fastener. The seat stopper 80 may be other shapes, suchas square, or oval with an area for attachment.

The seat stopper 80 is envisioned to be made of a resilient materialthat prevents the seat cushion 28 from directly contacting a surroundingpart without being damaged. The resilient material may be any rubber orplastic material which can provide a softer and less abrasive surfacethan the console 30 or other surrounding part on the vehicle 10. Thetrim cover 52 of the seat cushion 28 is less likely to be damaged bycontacting the seat stopper 80 made from a resilient material. Theresilient material may be compressible and allow the seat stopper 80 toreturn to an uncompressed position when not contacting the seat cushion28.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the seat stopper 80 may be secured to a flatarea 82 in the recess 42 of the console 30. The flat area 82 isgenerally parallel to an underside of the handle 50, as depicted in FIG.9. Additionally, FIG. 9 shows the flat area 82 of the recess 42 may belocated above a member 84 of the vehicle frame 12. With the flat area 82of the recess 42 above the member 84 of the vehicle frame 12, there isadded support when the seat stopper 80 is being pressed downward. Theadded support will limit the amount of flex in the console 30, which aretypically made of a plastic material that can be more easily flexed.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of theprojecting portion 44 of the seat cushion 28 and a console 30 of FIG. 4,taken along line A-A. As shown in FIG. 11, the seat stopper 80 may beattached to the underside of the projecting portion 44. Similarly, FIG.12 is a bottom view the another embodiment of the seat cushion 28. Theseat stopper 80 is envisioned to be secured to seat cushion 28 with agrommet connection or fasteners, such as screws or bolts (not shown),which are common in the art. Alternatively, any other attachment meansmay be used, including adhesives or epoxy that enables the seat stopper80 to be secured to the seat cushion. Additionally, the seat stopper 80is envisioned to be a cylindrical shape with a central bore forreceiving the grommet or fastener. The seat stopper 80 may be othershapes, such as square, or oval with an area for attachment.

When attached to the projecting portion 44, the seat stopper is alsoenvisioned to be made of a resilient material that prevents the seatcushion 28 from directly contacting the console 30 or other surroundingpart. The resilient material may be any rubber or plastic material whichcan provide a softer and less abrasive surface than the console 30 orother surrounding part of the vehicle 10. The trim cover 52 of the seatcushion 28 is less likely to be damaged by having the seat stopper 80attached. The resilient material may be compressible and allow the seatstopper 80 to return to an uncompressed position when not contacting theseat cushion 28.

As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11, the opening 90 is created between anunderside of the projecting portion 44 of the seat cushion 28 and theconsole 30. The opening 90 allows access for the user to grab theprojecting portion 44. Handle 40 is formed in an opening between theprojecting portion 44 and the console 30 for grasping the seat cushionto remove the seat cushion from the seat frame. Specifically, the usermay grab the handle 40 formed at least partially in the projectingportion 44, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. A seat stopper 80 may be placedin the opening 90 to prevent the seat cushion 28 from directlycontacting the console 30 or surrounding part.

FIG. 12 discloses the seat cushion 28 with the seat stopper 80 securedto the recess 54 of the handle 40. The seat cushion 28 may also includetrim cover 52. The trim cover 52 may cover a portion of the cushionmember 48 and the support member 50 to provide protection and anaesthetically pleasing surface to the seat cushion 28. The trim cover 52may be formed of a flexible, durable material, such as vinyl, leather orthe like. The seat stopper 80 may be attached at any location on theprojecting portion 44 to prevent the trim cover 52 from contacting theconsole 30 or other surrounding part.

As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11, the projecting portion 44 may be abovethe recess 42 of the console 30. However, in other embodiments theconsole 30 may be removed or have a different shape where it is notlocated under the projecting portion 44. The seat stopper 80 may beattached to other surrounding parts located below the projecting portion44, such as a frame component (not shown) of the vehicle 10.Additionally, the seat stopper 80 may be attached to a covering over theframe component, such as carpet, vinyl, or other plastic materials.

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms described. Numerousmodifications are possible in light of the above teachings. Some ofthose modifications have been discussed and others will be understood bythose skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described inorder to best illustrate certain principles and various embodiments asare suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of theinvention is, of course, not limited to the examples or embodiments setforth herein, but can be employed in any number of applications andequivalent devices by those of ordinary skill in the art. Rather it ishereby intended the scope of the invention be defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seating system for a vehicle comprising: a pairof seats arranged in a side-by-side configuration, each of the seatshaving a support member supported on a seat frame, and a seat back; atleast one of the pair of seats comprising a handle for grasping a seatcushion to remove the seat cushion from the seat frame; a seat stopperfor preventing the handle from contacting directly against a surroundingpart; and a member of a vehicle frame supporting the surrounding partwhen the seat stopper is depressed.
 2. The seating system of claim 1wherein the surrounding part includes a console.
 3. The seating systemof claim 1 wherein the seat stopper is made from a resilient material.4. The seating system of claim 1 wherein the seat cushion extendslaterally to form a projecting portion of the seat cushion such that theseat cushion is asymmetrical as viewed from above with respect to acenterline of the seat cushion extending in a front to back direction.5. The seating system of claim 4 wherein the handle is arranged at leastpartially in the projecting portion.
 6. The seating system of claim 2wherein a recess is formed in the console for receiving the handle. 7.The seating system of claim 6 wherein the recess creates an opening fora hand to grip the handle and remove the seat cushion.
 8. The seatingsystem of claim 4 wherein the handle comprises a recess on an undersideof the projecting portion.
 9. The seating system of claim 1 wherein theseat stopper is secured to the surrounding part.
 10. The seating systemof claim 1 wherein the seat stopper is secured to the handle.
 11. Aseating system for a vehicle comprising: a seat having a seat cushionfor being attached to a seat frame; the seat cushion comprising acushion member forming an upper portion of the seat cushion, and asupport member forming a lower portion of the seat cushion; the cushionmember and the support member extending laterally to form part of aprojecting portion of the seat cushion; the support member having ahandle; the handle is formed in an opening between the projectingportion and a console for grasping the seat cushion to remove the seatcushion from the seat frame; and a seat stopper for preventing theprojecting portion from contacting directly against a surrounding part.12. The seating system of claim 11 wherein the surrounding part includesa console.
 13. The seating system of claim 11 wherein a recess is formedin the console for receiving the projecting portion.
 14. The seatingsystem of claim 13 wherein the recess creates an opening for a hand toaccess the handle and remove the seat cushion.
 15. The seating system ofclaim 14 wherein the seat stopper is secured to the recess of theconsole.
 16. The seating system of claim 11 wherein the seat stopper issecured to underside of the projecting portion.
 17. A seating system fora vehicle comprising: a seat cushion for being attached to a seat frameto define part of a seating surface for an occupant of the vehicle, theseat cushion comprising a projecting portion extending laterally towardsa console; an opening is created between an underside of the projectingportion and a the console to allow access for grabbing the projectingportion, and wherein the opening includes a seat stopper for preventingdirect contact between the seat cushion and a console.
 18. The seatingsystem of claim 17 wherein the seat stopper is secured to the console.19. The seating system of claim 17 wherein the seat stopper is securedto the projecting portion of the seat cushion.
 20. The seating system ofclaim 17 wherein a handle is arranged at least partially in theprojecting portion.